The Raid on Cherbourg took place in August 1758 during the
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a Great Power conflict fought primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and South Asia. The protagonists were Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of Prus ...
when a
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
force was landed on the coast of
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
by the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
with the intention of attacking the town of
Cherbourg
Cherbourg is a former Communes of France, commune and Subprefectures in France, subprefecture located at the northern end of the Cotentin peninsula in the northwestern French departments of France, department of Manche. It was merged into the com ...
as part of the British government's policy of "descents" on the French coasts.
Background
Since 1757, the policy of the British government to use their naval superiority to launch raids against the French coast, to act as a diversion - drawing French forces and resources away from Germany where Britain's allies
Prussia
Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...
,
Hanover
Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-l ...
and
Brunswick were under severe pressure. In Autumn 1757, a British
expedition to Rochefort had captured an offshore island, but not made an effort to capture the town. In 1758, the
Duke of Brunswick asked the British to put this policy into action as his Allied force was being pushed back. A large naval and military force was assembled in southern England under the direction of
George Anson, the
First Lord of the Admiralty
First Lord of the Admiralty, or formally the Office of the First Lord of the Admiralty, was the title of the political head of the English and later British Royal Navy. He was the government's senior adviser on all naval affairs, responsible f ...
. In June 1758, the British had launched a
Raid on St Malo. Following the perceived success of this, a further raid was planned, and it was announced that
Prince Edward, the younger brother of the
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales (, ; ) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the History of the English monarchy, English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who, from ...
would accompany the expedition.
Raid
The British forces were under the command of Lieutenant General
Thomas Bligh with the offshore naval contingent commanded by
Richard Howe. They cruised along the coast of
Normandy
Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy.
Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...
threatening a number of ports, before arriving outside
Cherbourg
Cherbourg is a former Communes of France, commune and Subprefectures in France, subprefecture located at the northern end of the Cotentin peninsula in the northwestern French departments of France, department of Manche. It was merged into the com ...
on 7 August. The conditions were favourable and they were able to make a successful landing at
Urville-Nacqueville beach. Once ashore they brushed aside the small French force defending Cherbourg, and stormed it, capturing the town. They set about destroying the fortifications and port. On 16 August, the British left Cherbourg and re-embarked having stayed exactly a week.
Aftermath
News of the expedition boosted morale in Britain. The newspapers observed that it was the first successful landing of any significant size since the
Hundred Years War. The scheme had been a favourite project of
William Pitt and he was insistent that further raids be launched on the French coast. In September 1758, Bligh tried to capture
St Malo, but the weather allowed him to land only part of his force, who were quickly confronted by a superior French force. Bligh tried to withdraw to his ships, which he eventually did, after suffering heavy casualties at the
Battle of Saint Cast. This brought an end to the policy of "descents", as the British committed more troops to fight in Germany rather than risk another failed raid.
[Anderson p.303-04]
Despite this, the raids had been a success as they had weakened French morale and convinced them that even parts of
Metropolitan France
Metropolitan France ( or ), also known as European France (), is the area of France which is geographically in Europe and chiefly comprises #Hexagon, the mainland, popularly known as "the Hexagon" ( or ), and Corsica. This collective name for the ...
were vulnerable to British naval power. In response, France
planned a major invasion of Britain, designed to knock them out of the war, but it had to be abandoned owing to naval defeats.
See also
*
Naval Descents
References
Bibliography
* Anderson, Fred. ''Crucible of War: The Seven Years' War and the Fate of Empire in British North America, 1754-1766''. Faber and Faber, 2001
* Middleton, Richard. ''The Bells of Victory: The Pitt-Newcastle Ministry and the Conduct of the Seven Years' War, 1757-1762''. Cambridge University Press, 1985.
*
Rodger, N. A. M. ''The Command of the Ocean: A Naval History of Britain, 1649-1815.'' Penguin Books, 2006.
*
Simms, Brendan. ''Three Victories and a Defeat: The Rise and Fall of the First British Empire.'' Penguin Books (2008)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cherbourg 1758
Conflicts in 1758
1758 in France
1758 in Great Britain
Military raids
Landing operations
Military history of Cherbourg-en-Cotentin
Naval battles of the Seven Years' War involving Great Britain
Naval battles of the Seven Years' War involving France
Amphibious operations involving the Great Britain